In the winter months it seems that any buildup of water from the rain or sleet and snow causes not only the roads that people drive on but the sidewalks to become icy and slippery to walk on. Boots can protect us from the amount of snow that covers the ground but they don't protect us from the slippery and yet dangerous conditions that we must travel in. Some things are waterproof but we don't swim to work, at least not yet. Drowning in work, that's a whole other scenario. That's what happens when you work in a medical office, you're sometimes expected to be a lifeguard.
Medical buildings and facilities many times are just designed as offices or office space. This would mean that they are not equipped to accommodate emergent or urgent care visits. For example: a patient enters your office with the complaint of not feeling well, this includes chest tightness that has not gone away despite a visit to the emergency room a few weeks before and undergoing a battery of tests that produced no significant findings or abnormalities that are causing the problem.
The patient continues to wait it out and then they go to see the physician because of chest tightness. While at the physician's office the patient feels pain, to the point that they fall on the floor and are unable to move. The physician yells to the receptionist, "Call 911 now!" The receptionist does as told but can't help thinking about the fact that they are in a medical building that is not equipped to handle such emergencies. Paramedics arrives and helps the patient who is still complaining of chest tightness, but is conscious enough to give their name and health insurance information. The paramedics then speak with the attending physician and exchange information. A report is completed and the patient is then transported to the ambulance. But not before yelling out to the physician, "Wow, this is some place you got here! You had to call an ambulance just to get me the help I needed, which is why I came to you. I'm holding you responsible!" The attending physician becomes stressed. "What should have been done?" the physician asks. The receptionist informs the physician that they gave the patient aspirin and since the patient had not stopped breathing, CPR and the defibrillator wasn't needed. The receptionist looks around the office and says, "These offices are practically like regular office buildings except for the fact that there is a sink in each room and the lab area. There needs to be more in each medical office to assist people in urgent need of care." The physician looks at the receptionist and says, "But we do that by either sending them to the ER or by calling 911." The receptionist replies, "We need more by way of oxygen valves and masks in each room and CPR machines, along with a handheld ekg system, so that we do not have to wait for an ambulance to arrive. A Building intercom system is needed to connect directly with the main lobby and to conference with 911 dispatch. We would have done all we could until the ambulance arrived."
"You mean this by digital phone line set up?" asks the physician. "Well, the building or lobby should have some sort of communication access with the offices for evacuation and other announcement purposes, an intercom setup is necessary. If we have this sort of arrangement we could use the desk intercom set up to inform the lobby personnel, that we have called 911 without having to dial the number itself and then that call can be connected in with 911 and with the local or nearest hospital, if necessary through the intercom system." The physician thinks and says, "You're right. The patient just wanted more by way of ambulatory care in the office." The receptionist then says, "Exactly!" "Well, we did all we could and when the time comes for medical offices to be more equipped with things that may be of necessity in a medical office. I'm sure things will improve. That patient should have really gone to the hospital." says the physician. "This office is outpatient only!"
"Preferably, sometime today! Goodnight." says the receptionist, "It's real icy out and the roads and sidewalks are a mess, they ought to make winter shoes, boots, sneakers and tires to withstand black ice, all they need is to contain iron, activated carbon; when they oxidize, they produce heat and the heat will melt the ice and reduce accidents while walking or driving." The receptionist looks around as she leaves and says, "What a rink, all of this is!"
Medical buildings and facilities many times are just designed as offices or office space. This would mean that they are not equipped to accommodate emergent or urgent care visits. For example: a patient enters your office with the complaint of not feeling well, this includes chest tightness that has not gone away despite a visit to the emergency room a few weeks before and undergoing a battery of tests that produced no significant findings or abnormalities that are causing the problem.
The patient continues to wait it out and then they go to see the physician because of chest tightness. While at the physician's office the patient feels pain, to the point that they fall on the floor and are unable to move. The physician yells to the receptionist, "Call 911 now!" The receptionist does as told but can't help thinking about the fact that they are in a medical building that is not equipped to handle such emergencies. Paramedics arrives and helps the patient who is still complaining of chest tightness, but is conscious enough to give their name and health insurance information. The paramedics then speak with the attending physician and exchange information. A report is completed and the patient is then transported to the ambulance. But not before yelling out to the physician, "Wow, this is some place you got here! You had to call an ambulance just to get me the help I needed, which is why I came to you. I'm holding you responsible!" The attending physician becomes stressed. "What should have been done?" the physician asks. The receptionist informs the physician that they gave the patient aspirin and since the patient had not stopped breathing, CPR and the defibrillator wasn't needed. The receptionist looks around the office and says, "These offices are practically like regular office buildings except for the fact that there is a sink in each room and the lab area. There needs to be more in each medical office to assist people in urgent need of care." The physician looks at the receptionist and says, "But we do that by either sending them to the ER or by calling 911." The receptionist replies, "We need more by way of oxygen valves and masks in each room and CPR machines, along with a handheld ekg system, so that we do not have to wait for an ambulance to arrive. A Building intercom system is needed to connect directly with the main lobby and to conference with 911 dispatch. We would have done all we could until the ambulance arrived."
"You mean this by digital phone line set up?" asks the physician. "Well, the building or lobby should have some sort of communication access with the offices for evacuation and other announcement purposes, an intercom setup is necessary. If we have this sort of arrangement we could use the desk intercom set up to inform the lobby personnel, that we have called 911 without having to dial the number itself and then that call can be connected in with 911 and with the local or nearest hospital, if necessary through the intercom system." The physician thinks and says, "You're right. The patient just wanted more by way of ambulatory care in the office." The receptionist then says, "Exactly!" "Well, we did all we could and when the time comes for medical offices to be more equipped with things that may be of necessity in a medical office. I'm sure things will improve. That patient should have really gone to the hospital." says the physician. "This office is outpatient only!"
"Preferably, sometime today! Goodnight." says the receptionist, "It's real icy out and the roads and sidewalks are a mess, they ought to make winter shoes, boots, sneakers and tires to withstand black ice, all they need is to contain iron, activated carbon; when they oxidize, they produce heat and the heat will melt the ice and reduce accidents while walking or driving." The receptionist looks around as she leaves and says, "What a rink, all of this is!"
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